Starlette vs asyncio: What are the differences?

<Starlette and asyncio are both popular platforms used for developing asynchronous applications in Python. While both tools focus on improving performance and efficiency, there are key differences between them. Below are the six main differences between Starlette and asyncio.>

1. Execution Context Handling: Starlette provides a simplified interface for managing different execution states, making it easier to switch between tasks. On the other hand, asyncio requires manual handling of execution contexts, which can involve more complexity in code implementation.

2. Middleware Support: Starlette offers built-in support for middleware, allowing developers to easily add additional functionality to their applications. In contrast, asyncio does not have native middleware support, requiring developers to implement middleware logic from scratch.

3. Routing Mechanism: Starlette comes with a robust routing mechanism that simplifies request routing and URL handling within applications. In comparison, asyncio does not have a built-in routing system, necessitating developers to create their own routing logic.

4. Request and Response Handling: With Starlette, handling HTTP requests and responses is straightforward, thanks to its intuitive API design. Conversely, asyncio provides low-level primitives for managing networking tasks, requiring developers to handle request and response processing manually.

5. Testing Utilities: Starlette includes testing utilities that streamline unit and integration testing processes, enabling developers to write comprehensive tests for their applications. Unlike Starlette, asyncio does not offer testing utilities, meaning developers must rely on external libraries for testing their asyncio-based applications.

6. Extensibility and Customization: Starlette allows for easy extensibility through reusable components and plugins, promoting code reusability and modularity. In contrast, while asyncio offers flexibility, extending its capabilities may involve more intricate implementation and customization efforts.

In Summary, Starlette simplifies execution context handling, provides built-in middleware support, features a robust routing mechanism, offers intuitive request and response handling, includes testing utilities, and promotes extensibility and customization, distinguishing it from asyncio's manual context management, lack of native middleware support, absence of a built-in routing system, low-level request and response handling, limited testing utilities, and potentially complex extensibility.